1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to washers in general and, more particularly, to support structures for dishwashers.
2. Description of the Related Art
A tub for a washer, such as dishwasher, often has an integrally molded plastic construction and a front opening for providing access to an interior wash chamber. Typically, the tub includes a pair of side walls and a top wall, all of which flare outward near the front opening so as to form a collar with a recessed shoulder. The recessed shoulder provides a seat for a door that closes the front opening.
With plastic tubs, a front frame and a rear frame are provided to support the tub. Typically, the front frame is horseshoe-shaped and has a pair of parallel vertical legs that project downward from a bight. The front frame abuts an exterior surface of the collar and helps prevent lateral movement of the tub. The rear frame usually has a support member that is secured to a pair of horizontal legs that project forward toward the front of the tub. Usually, the vertical legs of the front frame extend downward to the horizontal legs of the rear frame and are secured thereto.
A pair of mounting plates are secured to the vertical legs to provide a mount for the door that closes the front opening in the tub. Each mounting plate has a base and an outer end. The bases are secured to the vertical legs by welding or other means.
The door usually has opposing sides with hinge arms secured thereto. Each of the hinge arms typically has an elongated body and a head with an opening formed therein. The door is pivotally secured to the mounting plates by pintles that extend through the openings in the heads. The pintles are either secured to the outer ends of the mounting plates or are pivotally received within holes formed in the outer ends of the mounting plates. The door is movable between a closed position wherein the door covers the front opening and an open position wherein the door is spaced from the front opening. In the closed position, the door is substantially vertical, while in the open position, the door is substantially horizontal.
The lengths of the mounting plates between the bases and the outer ends are sized to permit a bottom portion of the door to pivot underneath the mounting plates when the door is pivoted from the closed position to the open position. Since in most prior art washers the door pivots about a horizontal axis that passes through the door at or near a bottom edge of the door, the bottom portion of the door is small. Accordingly, the mounting plates are short. If, however, the horizontal axis is spaced upward from the bottom edge, the bottom portion of the door will be large. Such a door, often called a "long door", requires mounting plates that are long. In order to accommodate long mounting plates, the front frame of the washer must be set back farther from the front opening, which is undesirable. The farther the front frame is set back, the less support the front frame provides to the tub around the front opening. Accordingly, there is a need in the art for a washer having a structure that provides a pivot connection for a long door without requiring a front frame to be set back from a front opening. The present invention is directed to such a washer.